Or will the Grand Opening of the magnificent Canada Avenue be the kick-up the derriere Trinity College Cambridge needs to get on and build Dunsfold Garden Village finally?
On Thursday, crowds gathered on the World War 2 airfield and former BAE Flight Test & Assembly Centre to watch the unveiling of the new mega million-pound Canada Avenue.
It was more about who was not there to mark an important milestone in developing Waverley’s largest brownfield site. It was a no-show for the owners – Trinity College, Cambridge. Or local MPs Jeremy Hunt and Angela Richardson, who usually rock up to open an envelope! The Chairman of Dunsfold Parish Council also stayed away but sent along its longest-serving parish councillor, Cllr Roy Enticknap.
It is a tribute to the Canadians who built the aerodrome during the Second World War. Canada Avenue is over half a km long and lined with a double row of maple trees. Though currently bare of leaf, it will burst into life in Spring 2024 and may one day rival Cranleigh’s famous avenue of Canadian Maples.
Special guests included Alfold Parish Council chairman and Waverley Councillors; the road was officially named and opened with the help of Colonel Bouchard from the Canadian High Commission, the Mayor of Waverley, Cllr Penny Rivers, pictured above with Jamie McAllister and CEO Jim McAllister far right.
McLaren Automotive and Second World War Canadian military vehicles, including a 1944 Chevrolet C8a-MACH-ZL, were also used.
Jim McAllister, Dunsfold Park’s chief Executive, said:
“The 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Engineers transformed the land into a vital airfield in just 20 weeks in 1942. Over eighty years later, we are delighted to be here celebrating not just the opening of a new road but the beginning of a vision that has taken over two decades to come to fruition. Since 2007 our plans for Dunsfold Park have focused on being both socially and environmentally sustainable, creating a community where people are proud to live and work. Our new road not only signifies progress and accessibility but also stands as a resounding tribute to the rich aviation heritage of Dunsfold Park and the Royal Canadian Engineers who constructed it.”
Out of 210 suggestions gathered from a naming consultation held in 2023, Canada Avenue was one of the most popular put forward. The name was chosen and legally approved after consultation with Waverley Borough Council.
It is a living monument that pays homage to the Royal Canadian Engineers who constructed the airfield during the Second World War and the numerous aircrew from so many nations who bravely gave their lives to pursue freedom – many of whom flew from Dunsfold. The road has been designed as a dramatic celebration of Dunsfold Park’s aviation heritage, extending the alignment of the main runway and lining up with the planned Runway Park for the new village.
Waverley Borough Council granted planning consent for the new access road in October 2019. The new access road directly links the A281 to the main Perimeter Road within the aerodrome site. It can accommodate existing traffic and is designed to be ‘future proof’ to cater for the phased implementation of the approved outline masterplan. It will also provide more suitable and safer access for Heavy Goods Vehicles than Stovolds Hill to the north and Dunsfold Road to the south.
As well as vehicular traffic, the new access road provides new facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, creating a new link between the existing aerodrome facilities and the surrounding rights of way network.
The first phase of the works comprised the construction of the external roundabout and the majority of the realigned A281 that forms two of the arms of the roundabout. This was all built offline, allowing the works to be undertaken without affecting the A281.
Phase 2 involved (near) simultaneous work on the A281 to punch through onto the new approach arms and allow traffic to leave the existing A281.
Phase 3 included the remediation of the now unused section of A281 and creating a footpath and cycleway.
The new access road will officially open today, 28 January 2024, from 06:00. The opening of the new route means that:
- Stovolds Hill will close to all vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic on 28 January at 06:00. There will be no access to Dunsfold Park via Stovolds Hill.
- Compass Gate will remain open but only to road cars, not HGVs. All HGV traffic will be required to use the new road off the A281.
- The new access road will be accessible to all vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic from 06:00 on 28 January. The What3Words reference for the new entrance is ///estimated.essay.quite
Why didn’t the designer keep the runway the same width and plant the trees on the outside edges and make the roundabout roads lead off in a propeller shape therefore, celebrating it’s history and its use; a light aircraft could still do an emergency landing if needed and also have bigger spaces to have cycle ways, footpaths etc.